1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Yesterday we received a number of messages about refunds from Bondza. 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: Territorians had taken advantage of those cheap flights when the 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: airline launched, but the flights to the Gold Coast then 4 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: got canceled, and it meant that for a lot of 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: people who'd booked those flights so were sort of left 6 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: unable to get to the Gold Coast, some of you, 7 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: I'm sure, just sort of changing the dates, others wanting 8 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,119 Speaker 1: to get refunds. But it did get me thinking, you know, 9 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: it does seem as though airlines are among the most 10 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: difficult to try and get refunds from, and we thought, well, 11 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: let's have a chat to NT Consumer Affairs and find 12 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:33,520 Speaker 1: out a little bit more about what our rights are 13 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: joining us on the line right now, is nt Consumer 14 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: Affairs Commissioner Tracy Keys, Good morning Tracy, Good morning Katie, Tracy. 15 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: It does feel like airlines are very difficult in a 16 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: lot of cases to get a refund from, or to 17 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:50,480 Speaker 1: try and change your dates if you need to change 18 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: your date for flying. Do you guys get much of 19 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: that feedback at Consumer Affairs? 20 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 2: Alison, Absolutely, we definitely received calls about airline in particular 21 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:06,119 Speaker 2: issues around refunds or canceled flights. And I guess one 22 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 2: of the key things that we've learned that consumers should 23 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:13,680 Speaker 2: look out for, particularly where they've had a flight canceled, 24 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 2: is they might want to look to their banks. So 25 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 2: many banks these days have what we call chargeback policies, 26 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 2: and they're all a bit different. So you need to 27 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 2: check your own bank to see what they might offer. 28 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:27,759 Speaker 2: But you might actually be able to get your ref 29 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,759 Speaker 2: one back quicker by actually applying for a chargeback if 30 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 2: you paid for the credit card. Now the bank would 31 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 2: inquiry about whether it's legitimate to remove the expense, but 32 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 2: sometimes that can be quicker than actually making a complaint 33 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 2: or ringing the airline. 34 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: Tracy, I've never even heard of doing this. How do 35 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: you go down that pass? 36 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 2: Oh? Listen. It's either a case of calling the bank 37 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 2: or having a look on where you can raise the issue. 38 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 2: The key thing is you need to do it in 39 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 2: a timely way to each bank will have their own 40 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 2: timeline and which you're able to do that, And so 41 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 2: you need to check with your particular bank to see 42 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 2: what their policies are around that. 43 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: I mean, is there some guidelines sort of in place? 44 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: I guess though as well in terms of like let's 45 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: say you've booked a flight, they've canceled that flight, you know, 46 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: but the it's all been processed through your credit card. 47 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: Like you said, there's sort of guidelines in place or 48 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: sometimes where you're not able to do that olison. 49 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 2: There definitely will be times when you can't do that, 50 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:31,799 Speaker 2: but there's no sort of direct guidelines around when it 51 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 2: would be a difference, pretending on which bank you're actually 52 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 2: dealing with. 53 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, So yesterday we spoke a bit about the 54 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: cancelation of flights and people's rights in terms of what 55 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 1: we'd seen last year, where we know that Bonza, the 56 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: great new airline, had launched a lot of people book 57 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: flights to go to the Gold Coast, and then they 58 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: didn't have the approvals for those flights to be able 59 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: to go ahead when they had been scheduled, and so 60 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: they got pushed back I think to sort of earlier 61 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: this year. But there are a lot of people left 62 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: with either you know, waiting to get a refund or 63 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 1: trying to change their dates. Did you guys get many 64 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: calls about that situation with Bonza. 65 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 2: We haven't received many calls about that, but we certainly 66 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 2: are somewhere people could call if they're having trouble, particularly 67 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 2: with refunds or losses of money as a result of 68 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 2: those cancelations. And what I would actually suggest that people 69 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:30,399 Speaker 2: do is that we'll first ask them to complain directly 70 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 2: to the airline yep. And we certainly have information on 71 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 2: our website about the kind of information that should be 72 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 2: in that complaint. So first off, it's really important that 73 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 2: people put enough information in their complaint so that doesn't 74 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 2: become a reason for the airline not to get back 75 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 2: to them. Yeah, but if they don't get a response 76 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 2: in a reasonable time frame or they don't get the 77 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,839 Speaker 2: answer that they want, they can actually look at making 78 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 2: a complaint to Consumer Affairs and we would then have 79 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 2: a look at whether it's something that we could do 80 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 2: a voluntary conceilling on. And we have had some really 81 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 2: good outcomes with airlines. 82 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: Yeah. Right, that's good to know. And so what does 83 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: look at what point does Consumer Affairs step in and 84 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: what's the process then from your perspective, so I guess 85 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: we step. 86 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 2: In once the consumer has not had any success themselves, 87 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:20,840 Speaker 2: and usually to get a sense of how long they 88 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 2: might need to wait i'd have a look at the 89 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 2: airlines particular policies about how long they say they'll take 90 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 2: to get back to you. But consumers can then give 91 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 2: us a call if they're having problems, and our number 92 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 2: is eighteen hundred zero one nine three one nine. They 93 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 2: can also just make an application through our website if 94 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 2: they'd like us to look at whether it's something that 95 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 2: we would take a complaint on and whether we would 96 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 2: look at doing a voluntary conciliation with the airline to 97 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 2: try and get an outcome for them. 98 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: It was interesting yesterday one of the people that had 99 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,559 Speaker 1: contacted us had said that they'd tried plenty of different 100 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,919 Speaker 1: avenues to get that refund back, and then later that 101 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: day she said, you wouldn't believe it, but just signed 102 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: into my email and low and behold, they had just 103 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: refunded her money and that was from flights towards the 104 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: end of last year. So it does seem like a 105 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: long period of time to wait, and. 106 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 2: Certainly we have the same experience with airlines that they 107 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 2: can be very slow to get back and I don't 108 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 2: think coming to consumer affairs necessarily speeds up that process. 109 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 2: Sometimes I think it might actually just be a helpful 110 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 2: and supportive process. Ye. People, they don't have to be 111 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:28,720 Speaker 2: making the calls and emails themselves. 112 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 1: We would do that, yeah, And Tracy, I mean it's 113 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 1: the devil in the details sometimes because I guess we 114 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: all get excited when these big sales come online for 115 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: various different airlines and you might book something. But sometimes 116 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: you may book something and then the detail is that 117 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: you sort of can't change the dates, or if you do, 118 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:47,720 Speaker 1: it's going to cost you an arm and a leg, 119 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: or if you need a refund, it could take three 120 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: months to process. 121 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 2: Alison, you definitely want to read the detail because the 122 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 2: detail can be an issue that consumers can also be 123 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 2: reassured that there are some base seek guarantees in place 124 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 2: when it comes to air travel, and that is that 125 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 2: airlines do have an obligation to provide the service that 126 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 2: they've agreed to in a reasonable time and so as 127 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 2: a general rule, there would be an expectation, if say 128 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:18,160 Speaker 2: a flight got canceled, that the traveler would be offered 129 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 2: either an alternative flight within a reasonable timeframe, or that 130 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 2: they would be given a refund. 131 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: Well, Tracy keys NT Consumer Affairs Commissioner, it's always good 132 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: to catch up with you. I appreciate your time this 133 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: morning and thanks so much for having a bit of 134 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 1: a chat to us about our rights when it comes 135 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:38,599 Speaker 1: to those air fares. Pleasure Katie, thank you.